GDC 13: Kojima: Photorealism requires artist’s eye

Just because graphics are realistic, it doesn’t mean that a game will look good, developers from Kojima Productions have said.

Speaking at GDC 2013 in a session entitled ‘Photorealism Through the Eyes of a Fox: The core of Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes’, team members went into detail on the new Fox Engine’s photorealism aspirations.

The developers said that the studio’s definition of photorealism didn’t necessarily mean completely realistic graphics, as being correct and physically realistic does not mean a game will look good.

Instead a team member suggested that an artist’s eye was in fact key to make something great, while also stating that in order to get realistic looking graphics, developers and artists also needed to study the real world in depth.

“Just because something is physically correct and realistic, doesn’t mean that it will look good,” stated the developer.

“What I’m trying to say is that in order to get realistic graphics, you need to study the real world.

He added: “Perfectly replicating the real world may not be what a game needs, so an artist’s eye is essential. So you really need an artist’s eye to do something great.

“This and realism is what we mean when we say photorealism through the eyes of the Fox.”

You can view our full coverage of the session, in which Hideo Kojima revealed The Phantom Pain is part of Metal Gear Solid 5, here.

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